Mop attachment



y8 956 H. c. CRAIG I 2,744,280

MOP ATTACHMENT Filed NOV. 28, 1952 Figl i I l9 IN V EN TOR. HANfiON C.CD.A\G

d tats Pwitb 2,744,230 MOP ATTACHMENT Hanson C. Craig, Louisville, Ky. Application November 28,- 1952 Serial No. 322,895

4 Claims. c1. 1s 229 This invention relates to mops, and more particularly to an improved mop shieljdadapted to be attached'to a standard mop to prevent the strings of the mop from catching and twisting in th'eh'andle or framework of the mop.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved mop shield which is simple in construction, which is easy to apply to a standard mop, and which elfectively prevents the strings of the mop from catching or twisting in'the handle or frameworkof the main portion of the mop.

A further object of the' invention is to provide an improved mop shield to prevent the strings of a standard mop from catching and twisting in the adjacent portions of the mop, the attachment being inexpensive to manufacture, being ruggd in construction, being easy to mount on a mop, being arranged to prevent the metal parts of the mop from rusting and corroding, and enabling the operator to do more efficient work with the mop in less time because all of the strings of the mop will be available for engagement with the floor instead of only a portion of said strings, the improved attachment also preventing the strands of the mop from catching in the frame of the mop when the mop is dipped in the bucket or other water container employed with the mop, the improved shield attachment preventing the strands from catching in the frame of the mop as the head of the mop is dipped in and out of the container.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the lower portion of a mop provided with an improved shield attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention, a portion of the attachment being broken away in order to reveal the relationship thereof with the frame of the mop.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shield attachment employed in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a modified form of shield attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, 11 designates a conventional mop having the head 12in which are secured the mop strands 13. The handle of the mop is shown at 14, and the head 12 is secured to said handle by the conventional wire supporting frame 15.

Designated generally at 16 is a shield attachment according to the present invention, said attachment comprising a sleeve portion 17 of substantial length, said sleeve portion being engageable on the mop handle 14 adjacent the frame 15 of the mop, as shown in Figure 1, the sleeve portion 17 being provided with the set screw 18 which is engageable with the'mop handle to lock the sleeve portion rigidly to said handle. Integrally secured to the sleeve portion 17 is the downwardly flaring, relatively flat hood portion 19 adapted to receive the upper portion of the frame 15, and integrally formed with the hood portion 2. 19 is the depending straight sided skirt portion 20 which is adapted to receive the head 12 and to overlap the upper portions of the'strands 13, as shown in Figure 1.

With the shield device 16 installed in a manner shown in Figure 1, the head 12 of the mop and its frame support 15 are completely housed in the shield and the hood portion 19 and skirt portion 20 of the shield prevent the strands 13 from becoming entangled with the mop head 12 and the frame. Since the strands are prevented from catching or twisting in the framework or frame of the mop, the mop strands last longer and the mop itself is rendered much more effective than has heretofore been possible. Furthermore, the overall life of themop is, greatly increased since the skirt 20 reduces the amount of rusting or. corrosion which will occur and also enables the operator,

to do more efiicient work with the mop because all of the mop strands will be in engagement with the floor instead of a portion of said strands being'rendered useless by entanglement with the mop frame or by being twisted around the mop head and mop handle.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure 3, the attachment is designated generally at 16" and comprises a sleeve portion 17 of substantial length:

provided with the set screw 18', whereby the sleeve portion may be secured to the mop handle in the manner" described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2. Designated at 20 is a wire loop of elongated shape adapted to engage over the mop head 12 and the upper portion of the mop strands 13, the ends of the loop being connected to diametrically opposite points on the lower end of the sleeve portion 17' by respective wire arms 21' each wire arm having a downwardly and outwardly declining upper portion 22 which is secured t0 the lower end of the sleeve portion 17' and a vertical lower portion 23' which is secured to the end of the loop 20. Designated at 24' is a cover of flexible sheet material, such as leather or the like which overlies the wire frame comprising the elements 20 and 21' and which is fastened at its top end 25 to the lower part of the sleeve portion 17 in any suitable manner, as by the use of a suitable adhesive, by the use of rivets, or other known fastening means. The bottom margin of the cover 24' is formed with the tubular hems 26' on the opposite sides thereof which receive the opposite sides of the wire loop 20', whereby the flexible cover 24' is securely fastened to the sleeve 17' and to wire loop 20 and over the end arms 21'.

The shield device 16 of Figure 3 is mounted on the mop and secured thereon in the same manner as the shield device described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

It will be understood that the shield device of Figures 1 and 2 may be integrally formed of any suitable rigid material, such as sheet metal, molded plastic, or the like. The skirt 20 of the shield is of substantial height so as to overlap the top portions of the mop strands 13.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved mop shield device have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a mop comprising a handle having a lower end, a mop frame having side portions flaring in a direction away from the handle and secured to said lower end of the handle, said frame having side portions, a mop head extending between and secured to said side portions, mop strands secured to the head and depending from the side of the head remote from the handle, a shield comprising a sleeve portion circumposed on the handle, means Patented May a, 1950' securing the sleeve to the handle, said sleeve having a lower a hood P n es n th 19 earl f the sleeve havin flaring ends engaging the flaring frame side portions, said hood portion enclosing a portion of the frame adjacent to the sleeve with its flaring ends conforming in angulation to the flaring side portions of the mop frame, said hood having a lower end, a parallel sided skirt portion on and depending from the lower end of the head portion and enclosing said head and portions of the rnop frame, said hood portion and said skirt portion being of flexible material, said shield having a shield frame comprising side members having upper ends secured to said sleeve portions, said side members having lower ends and said skirt portion having a lower end, a rigid loop extending around and secured to the lower end of the skirt portion to which the lower end of the frame side members are secured.

2. In combination, a mop comprising a handle having a. lower end, a mop frame having side portions flaring in a direction away from the handle and secured to said lower end of the handle, said frame having side portions, a mop head extending between and secured to said side portions, mop strands secured to the head and depending from the side of the head remote from the handle, a shield comprising a sleeve portion circumposed on the handle, means securing the sleeve to the handle, said sleeve having a lower end, a hood portion on the lower end of the sleeve having flaring ends engaging the flaring frame side portions, said hood portion enclosing a portion of the frame adjacent to the sleeve with its flaring ends conforming in angulation to the flaring side portions of the mop frame, said hood having a lower end, a parallel sided skirt portion on and depending from the lower end of the head portion and enclosing said head and portions of the mop frame, said hood portion and said skirt portion being of flexible material, said shield having a shield frame comprising side members having upper ends secured to said sleeve portions, said side members having lower ends and said skirt portion having a lower end, a rigid loop extendin around and cured to e lower n o the skirt portion to which the lower end of the frame side members are secured, said shield frame being within the hood portion and the skirt portion with said side members bearing against the said flaring ends of the hood portion.

3. In a mop shield, a shield frame comprising an elongated loop having opposed ends, side members having upper and lower ends, said lower ends being secured to the opposed ends of the loop, a sleeve towhich the upper ends of the side members are secured, said side members having parnllellower portions and converging upper portions, and a shield body having an upper end secured to the sleeve and an open lowerend secured around and to said loop, said shield body enclosing and engaging said side members.

4. In a mop shield, a shield frame comprising an elongated loop having opposed ends, side members having upper and lower ends, said lower ends being secured to the opposed ends of the loop, asleeve to which the upper ends ofthe side, members are secured, said side members having parallel lower portions and converging upper portions, and a shield body having an upper end secured to the sleeve and an open lower end secured around and to said loop, said shield body enclosing and engaging said side members, said shield body being of flexible material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNE'TED STATES PATENTS 52,330. Short Jan. 30, 1866 947,012 Clark Jan. 12, 1910 1,064,271 Williamson June 10, 1913 1,086,987 Boeckx Feb. 10, 1914 2,070,169 Lodge Feb. 9, 1937 2,122,743 l-lasse July 5, 1938 

